Internal-combustion engine



C. Y. KNIGHT.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE. APPLICATION rILED1uNI-:2I, 191s. IIENEwED SEPT. I7. 1920.

1,370,454. Patented Mar. 1, 1921.

III IIIII'IIII QQ IMI* m.IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIlIllllllllllIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII I IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMIIII iII|||||||I|||||||IIIIIIIIIIIIIII 1h l ,777 im. I H f YS ,V\ I@ ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES Y. KNIGHT, OF PASADENA, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE KNIGHT AMERI- CAN PATENTS COMFANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

Application aiea June 27, 191s, seriai No. 242,278.

To @ZZ 'who/m, t may concern.:

Be it known that I, CHARLES Y. KNIGHT, a citizen of the United States residing at Pasadena, in the county of Los Angeles, State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Internal- Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specifica-tion. l

This invention relates to that type of motor which comprises cylinders assembled around a crank shaft and which rotate about said crank shaft as'an axis, and has for its object the provision of a motor of the character named which shall be of improved construction and operation. The invention is exemplified in the combinatiotn and arrangement of parts shown in the accompanying drawing and described in the following specification, and it is more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a motor embodying one form of the present invention; and

1Fig. 2 is a vertical section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

In many of the uses to which 'internal combustion ,engines are put in modern practice, it has been found desirable t0 connect a plurality of cylinders so that they operate upon the saine crank bearing, and this is especially true in air craft motors. Heretofore there have been two general types of motors which operate in this way, one in which the cylinders are stationary and disposed at different angles relative to the crank shaft as a center, and the other in which the crank shaft is stationary and the cylinders and associated )arts are caused to rotate about the shaft. Motors of the iirst class are usually of the kind known as V-type i cylinders where it not only fouls the sparking apparatus, but also accumulates in suf- Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 1, 1921.

Renewed September 17, 1920. Serial No. 410,962.

4ends of the cylinders Where it is discharged with the exhaust and so is lost after use but a single time. This makes it necessary to carry such a large quantity of lubricant as to limit the length of flight where an engine of this character is employed. It

` is also practically impossible t0 water-cool an engine of this type, for the reason that the additional Weight of the water-jacket and fluid within the jacket makes the rotating parts too heavy to permit of the high rate of rotation employed in the use of such en 'nes n the present invention, the power is obtained from a rotating crank shaft, but the engine frame and cylinders are also rotated at a comparatively low rate of speed so as to avoid the difliculties of lubricating cylinders extending downwardly in a fixed position relative to the crank shaft and yet at the same time avoid also the difficulties arising from rotation of the engine cylinders at high speed such as has been previouslyY employed in the Gnomme engines.

In the embodiment of theA invention shown in the drawing, the motor is illustrated as being mounted upon the forward end oflan aeroplane frame, but it Should be understood that the motor may be used with other apparatus as well as aeroplanes. The numeral 10 designates the frame on which the motor is supported, and the numerals 11 and 12 designate bearings on opposite sides of the motor in which projecting trunnions 13 and.14 formed on the engine frame itself are mounted for rotation. The engine frame 15 cairies a plurality of radially arranged cylinders 16 which may be provided with water-jackets 17 if desired. The engine crank shaft 18 is journaled in axially disposed openings in the trunnions 14 and is provided, inthe usual manner within the engine casing 15. with a crank bearing to which the pistons in the cylinders 16 are connected in the well known manner. Secured to a projecting end 19 of the crank shaft 18 is a pinion 2O which rotates with :the crank shaft and meshes with agear 21 mounted on a stud shaft 22 which projects from the framework 10 as shown in the drawing. The gear 2l is provided with a pinion 23 rigid therewith-arranged to-mesh -With a second gear 24 mounted on a stud shaft 25 carried by the frame 10. The gear 24'h'as a sprocket pinion 26 rigid therewith and a sprocket chain 27 connects the sprocket wheel 26 with a larger sprocket 28 formed on the rim of the motor casing or base 15. The mechanism described forms a chainof reduction gearin driven by the crank shaft of the engine anc arranged to rotate the engine base and cylinders at a comparatively low rate of speed during the operation of the engine. The rate at which the engine is rotated will vary somewhat, depending lupon the size and other characteristics of the particular motor, but it should be just fast'v enough to bring the lower cylinders from their inverted position and set up a churning effect before the lubricant has been given time to accumulate at any point in sufficient quantity-to foul the ignition points or to be wasted through the exhaust, or to interfere in any way with the operation of the moving parts, and should not be sufliciently rapid to produce centrifugal force great enough to interfere with the lubrication of the parts or the circulation of the cooling medium.- In the embodiment illustrated in the drawing, the total reduc-tion of the gear train is approximately l to 100, but this ratio will be varied to suit various engine speeds and sizes.

Where an engine embodying the present invention is water-cooled, the rotation of the engine parts effects a more ycomplete cooling of all of the heated surfaces than can be readily attained where the cylinders are stationary, for the reason that the continual moving of the water-jackets prevents the accumulation of pockets of steam and ,y g j 1,970,454

consequent yformation of hot spots. If

steam. begins to accumulate in any of the remote corners of the water-jackets, the changeof position of the cylinders will soon force out the pocket of steam and reestablish the circulation of water in the place which it has occupied and so a better cooling of all of the parts of the engine is secured, due to the rotation of the frame and cylinders. v

I claim:

1. In combination, a frame having fixed bearing portions spaced apart, a crankshaft journaled in said bearing portions and having its ends projecting therefrom, amember to be driven on one end of said crankshaft, a gear mounted on the opposite end of the shaft outwardly from` the nearest bearing portion, an engine casing carrying a plurality of cylinders mounted upon said crank shaft between said bearing portions, a gear.

connected with `said casin between said bearing portions, and drivmg connections between said gears whereby the crankshaft and casing are simultaneously rotated at different rates of speed.

2. In combination, a frame having fixed bearing portions spaced apart, a crankshaft journaled in saidbearing portions and having its ends projecting therethrough, a -member to be driven on one end of said shaft, a gear on the opposite end of the shaft, an engine casing carrying a plurality of cylinders mounted upon said crankshaft between said bearing portions, and a sprocket upon the outer face of said casing between said bearing portions having a sprocket i chain operatively connected with said gear whereby said shaft and said casing are rotated in opposite directions at relatively different speeds.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification on this 19th day of June A. D'. 1918. v

CHARLES Y. KNIGHT. 

